Pretty much because Qadaffi decided he could be richer and more stable as a sell out. Now, the guy we applauded Reagan for bombin is a darling of the West. Maybe we can change the phrase to "Our friends the Saudis and the Libyans".
Lebanon has moved towards democracy and splitting from Syrian influence.
...and right into Iranian influence. Vote Hizbullah, vote often.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have begun baby steps towards a more democratic society.
The Saudis are in the process of making it illegal for women to visit Muslim holy shrines. The more democracy they get, the more radical that place will become. (See HAMAS and Hizbullah for details) The Kuwaiti people are the second biggest jihadist fundraisers, right behind... "Our friends the Saudis (and Libyans)"
A little bit of freedom is a dangerous thing. Especially when you try to stuff the cork back in the bottle after you have opened it.
Last I checked, historically Libya was a major state sponsor of terrorism until the Iraq invasion. Better Qadaffi makes a few extra bucks exporting more oil instead.
...and right into Iranian influence. Vote Hizbullah, vote often.
Wrong. That influence was there all along via Syria. Hiz got only 20 percent of the vote - they are influential only because of their outside sponsors.
Oh, and regarding Saudi Arabia and Kuwait - they are also protected by their oil wealth. The best way to reduce that protection is to add more oil production. Once Iraq is stabilized, they will be in a position to compete with the Saudis for production capacity. That way, the next time the Saudis threaten to cut off the flow of their oil in response to political pressure, we can tell them to go ahead and do it - and see what happens.